God willing, I want all of my future children to attend the University of Oregon. I hope my godson rewrites the record books for the school’s golf program. If I had any say in the matter, my nephews and niece that are killing it in Ateneo (Philippines) right now would be in Eugene playing basketball and tennis/badminton respectively. Not only would they be treated to world class facilities and training programs that are co-signed by Nike, but they would also benefit from a wonderful campus environment that stresses excellence both on the field and in the classroom.
Also, they have these Tinker Hatfield-designed Air Jordan exclusives that are hot fire. I’m a size 11, kids, don’t forget your ninong…
To kick off the new school year, Nike thought it would be a great idea to get everybody drooling by giving us an up close look at the various exclusive kicks that Tinker and his team have whipped up for the various Oregon Ducks sports programs through the years. Starting in 2011 with the Air Jordan 9, the kicks were a special way for the legendary designer to give back to his alma matter and to build excitement for Oregon, Jordan Brand and Nike all at the same time. Made exclusively for Oregon athletes and select “friends and family,” the Oregon Air Jordans are some of the most desirable kicks in the world. Considering how much the occasional pair that has managed to make it to the secondary market will go for, there are old ‘heads out there lowkey hoping their star athlete kids are considering Oregon when recruiting time comes.
My chance to own a pair of these Air Jordans by means of being a student or athlete passed me by because I was in college years before Tinker enacted this program, so my only hope is random chance (I know somebody willing to sell them, Tinker gifts me a pair for being a poor thirsty shmuck, etc.) or my kids somehow making the grade someday to attend Oregon. So until then, here is my wishlist of Oregon Air Jordans ranked so they will always know what I want.
Air Jordan 5 Duckman (2014)
Without the Oregon branding, they’re a weird pair of Air Jordans that would probably sit in stores because I don’t like the way they look. With the Oregon branding, they’re a weird pair of Air Jordans that will sit in a consignment shop forever because I don’t like the way they look.
Air Jordan 14 (2016)
Football and basketball seem to get all the fun, but this special pair of the 14s was designed for other programs such as volleyball and tennis. Now I need to know if there’s a “Golf” version of these kicks.
Air Jordan 9 (2011)
The first Oregon-branded Air Jordan is eerily reminiscent of the Air Jordan 9 cleats that Michael Jordan was wearing when he quit basketball to play baseball for a summer, not to mention this colorway sans the Oregon branding released last year as the Anthracite 9. It takes away some of the exclusivity luster, but it’s still a solid pair of 9s nonetheless. I would just turn everything black and switch the number on the heel from “23” to “45” just because.
Jordan Melo M10 (2014)
Yes, this is not an Air Jordan proper, but it does have the unique distinction of being the only “Team Jordan” to get the Oregon PE treatment. The Melo M10 also has a special place in Jordan Brand’s history because it was designed by Tinker himself. With the Puddles and special graphics on the tongue complimented by a silver and volt finish, this is a sneaker even a Syracuse grad would be proud of.
Air Jordan 14 (2015)
Just like the green colorway only better because the grey is such a perfect compliement to the shoe’s accents.
Air Jordan 4 Duckman (2013)
Duckman > Jumpman. Yeah, I said it…
Air Jordan XX9 (2014)
This would have been so much better if it had the Duckman instead of Jumpman logos, but we’ll settle for MJ in this case. The Flyweave upper truly stands out here with the outsized Jumpman and the Wings that fade in and out as if they were iridescent. Seeing these in person at Oregon’s facility was a sight to see.
Air Jordan 5 (2014)
Fake. That’s the word that comes out of people’s mouths when they first see this shoe. Tinker himself could be wearing them and there would still be a jackass out there that sincerely believes that Nike would never produce such a obnoxious and audacious pair of retro Jordans. But it’s a real thing and Tinker knew it would get quite the reaction because of how it stood out from other Oregon PEs before and since.
Air Jordan 4 (2013)
This touching tribute to Tinker’s friend Doug McClain was a testament to how the man always incorporated pieces of his life onto his creations. It’s an Oregon shoe, no doubt, but it was truly meant for one man who meant the world to Tinker. Nothing more really needs to be said.
Air Jordan 3 Pit Crew (2012)
The Pit Crew refers to the loud student section found during Oregon home games and just like every other student section in the country, they are loud and proud of their school. Of course, no other school can claim one of the most valuable and coolest Air Jordan ever made as their own, so I think The Pit Crew has the slight advantage over well, everybody else. Even Cal Poly… Go Broncos…
Air Jordan 3 (2012)
The Air Jordan 3 is as close to perfection as it gets. Yeah, it might not be the most “able” shoe in today’s sneaker landscape especially now we’re so used to things like knitted sneakers and walking on soft pillowy soles, but for my money, the Air Jordan 3 can still get the job done from a performance (maybe slip in said Lunar sole) and aesthetic standpoint.
The best colorway of the Air Jordan 3 is White Cement and all they really did for the Oregon PE was switch out the Jumpmans and added the Oregon logo and Puddle’s feet and change the colors up to a subtle Forest Green. In other words, they didn’t have to do much, but on a personal level, the change from red to green made me love the shoe even more because now the color scheme reminds me of a favorite sneaker of mine, the Nike Air Max Uptempo 97 in the Forest Green colorway.
The post Power Ranking The Oregon Air Jordan Exclusives appeared first on KicksOnFire.com.
